Also called: Animal Behavior Specialist (DVM)
A veterinarian who specializes in treating animals with behavior problems like aggression and anxiety.
Veterinary behaviorists meet anxious dogs, aggressive cats, and stressed zoo animals, watch their behavior, prescribe medication, and design training plans with owners.
Estimate; above BLS vet median due to specialty.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 11 years after high school. Doctor of Veterinary Medicine plus a 3-year behavior residency and board certification (fewer than 100 exist in the US).
Ways in: 4-year college, Professional school. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Animal Science, Biology, Psychology, Pre-Veterinary.
Growing much faster than average (about 10% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. AI may help track behavior from video, but diagnosing anxious animals, prescribing and coaching owners stay with licensed vets.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Psychology, Animal science CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-1131.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.